training & research
for academic newcomers
A project of the King Baudouin Foundation
© 2013 Truetrust Ltd
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Introduction to Project Management
Gabriella Calderari
David W Chadwick
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Problem Solving
Start
Problems Solved
Detect Problem
Execute Project
Decide Solution
Plan Project
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What is a Project?
• Any Task
• Which Has
• A Beginning
• And an End
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Which of the following are Projects?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Applying for an EC Project
Implementing an EC Project
Getting a job
Keeping a job
Seeking promotion
Everyday living
Buying a house
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Project Objectives
Quality
Cost
Time
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Objectives are Strongly Inter-related
• Increase the quality -> increase cost and/or
time
• Decrease the time -> decrease in cost and/or
quality
• Increase the time -> increase the cost
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What is Project Management?
• The role of a Project Manager is to ensure that
the project can be completed on time, to cost
and to the required quality
• But this is not an easy role (which is why good
project managers are highly sought after and
well paid)
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Project Management Skills
• Project management involves a wide variety of skills
and techniques, including:
– technical skills to be able to understand the technical
solutions being proposed
– interpersonal skills, to be able to motivate all the members
of the project team
– planning and estimating skills so as to formulate good
project plans
– communication skills, to be able to write clear reports and
give presentations to project stakeholders
– numerate and financial skills so as to control project
resources
– creativity to solve problems and develop solutions
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Two Basic Laws of Project
Management
• All project management decisions must be
made by considering their effect on the
objectives for the project
• Only the remaining work in the project can be
managed - you cannot manage what has
already happened
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Phases of a Project
Project
Initiation
Project
Planning
Task
Scheduling
Information
Gathering
Project
Proposal
Project
Re-planning
Project
Execution
Information
Evaluation
Project
Termination
Feedback
Initiation Planning
Execution
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Control Feedback
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Project Proposal Phase
• Document proposals for new projects,
possibly arising from existing projects, new
business opportunities, changing market
conditions etc.
• Specify goals of project, not solutions (leave
that till later phase)
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Project Initiation Phase
• Collect project ideas and proposals
• Evaluate project proposals and select best
project(s) for planning
• Select project manager and initiate the
planning of the project
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Project Planning Phase
• Establish the project plan
– Including risk management plan and quality plan
• Make Resource Input contracts
• Initiate the project document files
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Task Scheduling Phase
• Initiate the sub-project groups
• Establish and distribute task descriptions
• Order the execution of tasks
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Execution Phase
• Execute activities
• Document work results and resources
consumed
• Control the quality of work
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Information Gathering Phase
• Record project control information (time, cost,
quality) continuously
• Prepare project control statements
periodically
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Evaluation Phase
• Relate project control information to project plan
data
• Isolate and define present and/or anticipated
deviations from the project plan
• Determine the causes and effects of the
deviations
• Decide upon appropriate actions
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Project Re-Planning Phase
• Develop proposals for project plan alterations
• Refer to the Steering Group if alterations
exceed the limits of the project
• Carry out alterations to the project plan and
Resource Input contracts
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Project Termination Phase
• Develop proposal for premature project
termination if necessary
• Decide on termination of project (possibly via
Steering Group)
• Execute the termination process
• Produce final project report
• Disband the project team
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Project Feedback Phase
• Collect and document experience information
and proposals for change
• Develop proposals for improvements
• Decide on, carry out and communicate
information about changes and improvements
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Prematurely Terminating a Failing
Project is Hard
• Read “Blowing the Whistle” by M. Keil and D. Robey
– CACM, April 2001, Vol 4, No 4, pp 87-93
• The “Mum Effect” – Reluctance to Blow the Whistle
– “Career suicide to be honest”
– “Political suicide to go and speak up”
• The “Deaf Effect” – Reluctance to Hear the Whistle
– “I don’t think they believed it would be that serious”
– “We really appreciate your efforts, but thanks no thanks”
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Organization Contexts of Whistle Blowing
Cover Up
Strong Organisation
Deaf-Dumb-Blind
Organisation
Mum
Effects
Healthy
Organisation
Ostrich
Organisation
Weak
Strong
Weak
Deaf Effects
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Project Planning
• Why Plan
– to ensure project can be completed on time, to
budget and at the required quality
– to set the standard for time, cost and quality for
project control to measure against
• Planning tools: Gantt Charts, Dependency Tables,
Work Breakdown Structures, Activity Networks
• Start by listing all the activities and tasks in the
project. A WBS may help
• Then work out the dependencies between tasks
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WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE
Project
Work Package 1
Activity A
Task A
Task X
Task Y
23 October 2003
Work Package 2
Activity B
Task B
Activity C
Task C
Task M
Activity D
Task E
Task N
Task F
Task O
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Dependency Table
ACTIVITY/TASK
DEPENDENT UPON
A
-
B
-
C
B
D
A,B,C
E
B
F
E,B
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Gantt Charts
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Activity Networks
• Two types: Activity on Node, and Activity on
Arrow.
– Activity on Node is used by Microsoft Project
• Features: Various types of links: Start-Start,
Finish-Start, Finish-Finish, all with or without
lag (time delay)
• Shows Critical Path – each task on this path
must finish on time otherwise the project will
be late
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Network Diagram in MS Project
All tasks on critical
path are coloured red
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Resourcing
• Determine what resources a project needs
over time
• Resources :
– People
– Equipment
– Materials
– Facilities
Scheduling
• Determining when the tasks are going to be
performed
© 2000 D W Chadwick
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Steps in Resourcing and Scheduling
1. Estimate activity durations from workload
estimates
2. Combine with logical dependencies to produce a
logical project plan
3. Allocate resources to tasks
4. Smooth the resources to produce a scheduled
project plan
5. If necessary, alter plan to fit customers/sponsors
requirements
6. Allocate tasks to named individuals and teams
7. Adjust plan for actual staff performances
© 2000 D W Chadwick
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Resource Histograms in MS Project
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The Control Loop
Set Standard
Continue Unchanged
Take Corrective Action
to Improve Performance
Revise the Standard
Decision
Measure Performance
Compare Performance
with Standard
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Measuring Project Objectives
• Time
• Resources
• Quality
??
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Measuring Cost
• Keep accounts and compare with budget
• Two Important statistics
• BAC (Budgeted at Completion) =
The total cost of the project derived from the project plan
before any work began
• EAC (Estimated at Completion) =
The estimated cost today, derived from the actual costs to
date plus the scheduled costs remaining
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Measuring Staff Time/Costs
• Use timesheets and reporting to collect time spent and
'to go'
• Beware 90/90 rule:
'It takes 90% of the time to complete the first 90% of the
task, and 90% of the time to complete the last 10% of the
task'
• By
–
–
–
–
–
Honest approach - explain exact use of data
Minimum staff effort - small and simple data
Feedback - show staff current project progress
Questioning 'to go' - require justification
Setting measurable objectives & small tasks
© 2000 D W Chadwick
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Project Quality Objectives
• What you want – functional specifications
• How well you want it – non-functional or QOS
specifications
– QOS is the most difficult of the 3 project
objectives to specify and measure
– We will have a separate lecture devoted to quality
management
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Corrective Action
Improving Staff Performance
• Motivation - Hertzberg etc.
• Staff Training and Development
• Additional Staff
• Discipline
• Better quality controls
© 2000 D W Chadwick
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Corrective Action
Resetting The Standard
• Only when absolutely necessary e.g.
– Unexpected events make target unobtainable
– Staff are not skilled enough
– Leader is inadequate
– Circumstances render it obsolete
• Because
– Removes a motivation to try harder
– De-motivates staff who already tried hard
– Staff ignore constantly changing standards
© 2000 D W Chadwick
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Management by Walking About
(MBWA)
• FINALLY
• Don’t forget to wander about in the project
area, talking to staff, getting them to demo
things
• You will learn a lot about the project and its
progress, how staff feel etc. from this
• You will also uncover problems very early on,
before things go too badly wrong
© 2000 D W Chadwick
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Any Questions??????
[email protected]
[email protected]
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